September - Aging Well, 50s, 60s, 70s & beyond
Introduction
I’ve met numerous vibrant 90-somethings and I always ask them what their secret to their pep and vigor is. And the answer is always the same – “I eat well, I exercise, and I have fun”.
I believe that each of these (diet, exercise, and fun) are equally important. Your diet doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to be pretty good. You don’t need to exercise like an Olympian, just be sure to move every day. And have fun! What makes you laugh? Smile? Get excited? Make them a priority in your day!
Remember that mantra – eat pretty well, move some, have fun.
The Power of Food -
Twenty years ago, when I was in my late 20s, I met an incredible man named Joe. At the time he was in his late 70s and he spent his weekends working with a bunch of young and spry 20- & 30-somethings at health shows. Our days were very long (10 – 12 hours) and very busy. We were on our feet all day talking to people and trying to convince them to try a VERY green powdered supplement (some days more successfully than others).
I found these weekends totally exhausting. By the end of the weekend my feet hurt, my brain hurt, and I needed at least a few days off to recover.
Not Joe. Joe was a real estate agent by day and usually rushed off to a house closing after the show closed. He was amazing!
One day, while Joe was insisting on moving all of the heavy boxes himself, I asked him if he had always been so strong and vibrant. His answer shocked me.
He stopped, gave me a very serious look, and said no. And he told me an amazing story.
Up until 10 years earlier, when he was 65, he had been a heavy drinker and smoker. His diet was terrible and he ate whatever he wanted with no thought of health. Then, he was diagnosed with cancer and that was his wake-up call.
His younger brother was the formulator of the green powdered supplement that we were selling at the health shows. I had assumed he was the product of a lifetime of listening to his brother’s health advice. But Joe didn’t believe his brother for most of his life. Not one bit…well, not until his diagnosis.
The first thing he did after he spoke with his doctor was, he called his brother and asked him what he should do to get through this health crisis. His brother told him to eat a healthy whole food diet, exercise, and stop his unhealthy habits.
And, that’s what he did, and I met him 10 years later. When I met him, he had glowing rosy cheeks, energy to spare, and was so strong that he insisted on doing all of the heavy work at the health shows. He was inspiring.
Plus, he showed me proof that it’s never too late. Wherever you are, however you may feel right now, you could be like Joe.
Today Joe in his mid-90s and still going strong. He likes to comment on my Facebook posts, reminding me of our time together 20 years ago :).
How to navigate this masterclass –
I’ve divided it up into 4 sections – Overall Principals, In Your 50s, In Your 60s, and In Your 70s. The Overall Principals and “In Your 50s” sections will take you through some key food and lifestyle habits that are important to set up early. These are great for anyone of any age.
The 60s section includes all of the main principals for aging well – start here if you’re over 60 (including if you’re over 70). This is a longer section that goes through a lot, including food, sleep, joints, etc.
The 70s section adds a few extra principals for the next 3 decades of life and they work best if they’re incorporated into the principals in the 60s section (I didn’t want to get too repetitive :).
Let’s dive in!
If you have any questions, jump to our private Facebook Group or the Ask Lisa page :)
Now let’s get started! Head over to Part 1.